An Apple Pie Life
by MonsterDonut394
Summary: Post Season Five AU. What would have happened if Sam had his soul when he was freed from the cage? How would things have been different with Dean and Lisa? When would Sam reveal he was alive?
1. Chapter 1

In all honesty, the last year had been too good to be true. Too calm. Too... _normal._ Although when it happened it surprised Dean, looking back he realized he had just been waiting for the last shoe to drop. But it hadn't just been the shoe. It had been the whole caboodle...

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

As soon as he smelled the scent of bacon, Dean knew that today would be awesome. It was his birthday, and although he hadn't told Lisa, somehow she had found out. She always managed to weasel things out of him when he was incapacitated. In fact, he had probably spilled the beans a couple of nights ago when they were celebrating his job promotion with a practically illegal number of drinks. Although he was looking forward to the presents and the cake, he was not looking forward to the people who would undoubtedly be involved. Somehow, Dean always managed to say the wrong thing at the worst time or say nothing when he was expected to talk. If the workings of a civilians personal life had been somehow beneficial to hunting, he would have been a pro. But since it wasn't, Dean was stuck with his social awkwardness.

He crawled out of the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Looking at the stranger in the mirror, it was hard to know whether he should be proud of himself for moving on, or beating himself up for giving up. He pushed away the bleak thoughts and replaced them with a single happy thought: "I have been living with Lisa for almost two years, and no one has died or been maimed in any way. My life is good. Today is my birthday and I will celebrate." He went down stairs with those words echoing in his ears and a smile on his face.

As he entered the kitchen, he was blasted by a hug from Ben, who smiled at him enthusiastically and said, "Happy Birthday Dean!"

He grinned and mussed Ben's hair, "Thanks, Ben."

Lisa smiled at him from across the kitchen, in front of the stove which was overflowing with his favorite breakfast: Scrambled eggs, well done with smoked bacon that dripped with grease and sausage that smelled _divine_. He couldn't wait to eat, but looking up to Lisa with her sparkling eyes and in pajamas, he decided that food could wait. A good morning kiss was just what he needed. As he dipped her down for a kiss, Ben groaned loudly and said, "Stop that, I won't be able to eat."

Dean looked over at Ben and winked. "Just showing you what it means to be a gentleman."

Lisa smacked him in the arm and placed all of the food on the table. "Because its your birthday, I've decided to spoil you a little. But if you keep telling lies to my son, you may get more than a smack."

Dean smirked. "Can we just eat already? This meal looks amazing Lis, I would hate for it to get cold."

She smiled and they all dug in. About thirty minutes later, all of them having been completely satisfied, Lisa started telling Dean the plan for the day.

"I know you're not really all that in to the whole county fair deal, but I can't live my life knowing that there is a person in this town who has never been to this fair. Before you object, hear me out. There are lots of rides and different games you can play to win me stuffed animals. There's a gun show, which I have never been to but you might like. But the best thing about the fair is the food. There are literally a hundred booths entirely devoted to food. Everything possibly known to man has been deep-fried and placed on a stick. There are steak sandwiches, ground beef sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, and even lamb sandwiches. If you don't want to go, I can think of something else for us to do, but I really can't think of anything that would make you happier."

Dean thought about it for a moment before asking, "Do they have deep-fried pie?"

She laughed and nodded her head in affirmation before going online to get tickets.


	2. Chapter 2

The man emerged from his state of unconsciousness, looking at his surrounds in confusion before snapping out of his haze in panic. He was tied to a chair in a dark, noisy room with no recollection of getting there. His hands were tied tightly behind his back and his long, shoulder length hair was snarled in the oily rag that was gagging him. As he listened more intently to the sounds that surrounded him, he groaned with apprehension as he recognized the cacophonous music and yells of a county fair. His head snapped up when the only door in the room creaked opened and his eyes widened in fear as he saw his captor… a clown.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

Dean was more than a little excited when they pulled into the parking lot of the fair. He hadn't been to a fair or carnival since he and Sammy had killed the rakshasa. And technically that didn't count because they were investigating the whole time. This time, he hadn't encountered a monster in a couple of years, and he was going for his birthday. It was going to be awesome.

Ben jumped out of the truck as soon as it had parked, eager to get into lines for the rides before they got too long. Dean and Lisa strolled behind him, resisting the urge to break into a run and do the same. When they reached the gate and provided their tickets, the noise hit them. Screams from the early-birds on the rides. Laughs from little kids as they watched the clowns. Music from a thousand different sources. Lisa turned to Dean and smiled at the awe on his face. "What do you want to do first?"

He looked down at her and grinned devilishly. "Tunnel of Love?"

Thirty minutes later, they emerged from the ride, holding hands as they smoothed their hair back down. They had sent Ben to ride the Twister, and they arrived at the ride just as he was getting off. He was grinning from ear to ear as he said, "Can I go again?" Dean looked at the ride and then at Lisa with excitement. She saw the look in his eyes and waved him and Ben away. As they eagerly got in line, she searched for fried pie on a stick. Knowing Dean, he would approach the fair in intervals: Something thrilling, followed by something to eat, followed by a display or booth. As she watched him talking to Ben as they got closer to the ride, she marveled at her luck in finding such a good man. The nightmarish situation he had come to her from didn't seem to dampen his joy in the experiences of everyday life.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

The man in the colorful suit watched the woman, grinning in the anticipation of putting his plan into action. This stupid, human woman had unknowingly walked Dean Winchester into a trap. Now, with both Sam and Dean Winchester in his clutches, his boss would certainly promote him. It was high time for the Winchester's to get what they deserved.

SPSNPSNPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

"When Dean and Ben emerged from the Twister, they looked around for Lisa and found her sitting on a bench with... was that fried pie? He rushed over to her, gave her a long, grateful kiss, before he tackled the sensory masterpiece in front of him. It was demolished in a matter of seconds, barely tasted but greatly appreciated. Lisa watched Dean as he ate before asking, "So gun show next or a booth?"

He held his finger up as he polished off the last of the crumbs. "I think we should go to the gun show. I checked the schedule and it's only open for a short amount of time."

Lisa nodded and they started walking towards that area of the fairgrounds, without noticing the black-eyed stare of the clown that was following them.

They reached the show and told Ben to go ride the merry-go-round. He sulked for a moment before dashing off to get the best horse. As Dean wandered around in the covered pavilion displaying all types of guns, he was blasted by memories of his first gun and all of the guns he held between then and now. More guns than were in this entire place. He stopped in front of a particularly rare gun, noticing a man who stopped at the exact same moment as he did. The tingle that had been teasing the back of his neck for the last couple of minutes grew as he looked around in apprehension. There were several suspicious looking characters around, but this _was_ a gun show. As he looked outside the tent, his blood ran cold when he saw the clown. He was standing on the edge of the merry-go-round, staring intently at Lisa, who was watching Ben. As he broke into a run, he knew he would be too late. The clown reached out to Lisa and her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed to the ground.

As he ran, his thoughts swirled desperately as he thought of any way the demon could have known he was there. When he saw the clown dragging Lisa into the group of trees at the back of the merry-go-round he sped up, slowing down only when he reached the trees. He looked around for the clown, before he saw a maintenance door in the ground. There must be tunnels underneath the fairgrounds. Just as he was about to approach the door he was yanked to a stop by the scream behind him. Ben. He spun around and faced his worst nightmare.

A second clown had Ben in his grip, his black eyes glowing darkly as he yanked on his hair and planted the knife more firmly on his throat. Ben looked terrified. The demon smirked at Dean and said, "Turn around and walk towards that door Winchester, or this brat will never speak again." Dean desperately racked his mind for any chance of escape, but turned instantly when he heard Ben whimper. As he approached the door and stopped and front of it, he steeled himself in the anticipation of the fist that came crashing down from behind him. As the rest of the demons who were wearing clowns surrounded him and pummeled him to unconsciousness, his last thought was one of rage and helplessness. He would save his family.


	3. Chapter 3

The second man woke up in the same way as the first: tied to a chair in an underground room on the fairgrounds. He jolted up against his bonds and looked around anxiously for his family. When he saw the occupant of the other chair, his breathing stopped and his mind raced at the implications. The situation had just gotten ten times more confusing.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

Dean stared in shock at the man in the other chair. He looked exactly like Sammy. But that couldn't be right? Sammy was dead. The man's shoulder length brown hair obscured his face. There was blood caked in his hair and on his shirt. Which reminded Dean of his own pains. His head was ringing and the sharp ache in his side told him at least one of his ribs was broken. Before he had the chance to fully take stock in his situation and his surroundings, he heard the only door to the room open. In walked a demon, wiping the paint off his face. He grinned when he saw that Dean was conscious, and strolled over to the other man and slapped him awake.

The man jolted up out of unconsciousness and Dean finally saw his face. It was Sammy. He looked up at the demon in confusion and then in fear when he recognized the clown without his makeup. The demon turned to face both of them and said, "This is one of the greatest moments of my life. Two Winchesters in one place? My boss can't help but promote me."

Sam's face tightened at the fact that the demon said two Winchesters. He slowly turned and looked at Dean uncomprehendingly for a moment before groaning in realization. "This was a trap. You weren't trying to get me to tell you anything. You were just waiting until Dean got here before turning us over to your boss. Who is he by the way?"

Dean was surprised at the abrupt reception he had gotten from Sam. You'd think after two years the kid would be a little happier to see him, no matter how bleak the circumstances. He decided to get straight to the point. "Where's Ben and Lisa?"

All he got for his question was a sucker punch. "You'd better quit thinking of them and start thinking of yourself. You have to be the easiest capture I've ever made, Dean Winchester. At one time you might have called yourself a hunter, but this? This level of dotage doesn't suit you."

Dean gasped for air and tried to avoid the truth in the demon's words. He decided that maybe he should just shut up and focus his energy on the ropes behind his chair.

Sam, who had never lost his sixth sense for his brother's actions in these types of situations, picked up the conversation. "Look, I don't know who you work for, and I don't really want to meet him. Just tell me this. Why the clowns? If you're going to capture us with your super demon squad, use a better costume. It's a little archaic."

The demon backhanded Sam and Dean couldn't help but think about how their roles had changed. He was supposed to be the one with the snarky comments and the careless regard for the consequences. His fingers grew bloodier as his wrists were rubbed raw in his attempt to shake free of the ropes.

When the demon moved to the other side of the room and picked up a scrying bowl and ceremonial dagger, Dean and Sam looked at each other, both hoping the demon would pick themselves to get the blood instead of their brother. Reaching behind his back in the customary fist of rock-paper-scissors, Dean thumped his hand three times. Sam, catching on to the game of odds, followed suit. His mouth dropped in surprise open when he lost. Dean smirked at him and mouthed "Ben gets bored," before staring up at the demon with a smirk.

"Calling your boss? Oh yeah, I forgot. He's supposed to promote you. Good luck with that. I mean, with your looks? There's no way you're going to get past the level of an average demon."

The demon immediately focused his attention on Dean in wrath, scraping his knife across his arm and holding the bowl to catch the flow of the blood. Dean grimaced at the pain, and yelped in surprise when the demon moved on to the other arm.

"You've got enough blood!"

The demon looked at him haughtily and said, "Better safe than sorry."

As he moved to the corner to start his message, Dean let out the breath he was holding and looked over at his brother.

"You want to tell me why you're still alive?"

Sam groaned and said, "This isn't really the time Dean."

Dean scoffed and asked him, "You wouldn't want me to die without knowing how you _didn't_ die would you?"

"Fine, you want the short-version?"

"Sure."

"Cas saved me. The end."

"How long have you been out?"

Sam looked down at the ground before answering. "Two years."

"Two years?! Sammy, I thought you were dead, and you were waltzing around in the land of the living for two years and you just thought you didn't need to tell me?"

"Look, I'm sorry that I let you think I was dead. It's just… you had a chance to be normal. I would've found you eventually, but you deserved this apple pie life you've been living. I went to Stanford, and it was one of the happiest times of my life. I just wanted to give you the same chance."

Dean hung his head for a moment before looking back up at Sam. "I know man. But two years? I would have been happier with you alive. I _am_ happier. It's not fair to kick me out of the hunting world to drown my sorrows on a woman and child who loved me even when I would come home smelling of whiskey and cheap smokes. It wasn't your decision. I needed you."

Sam nodded and was about to go on with the conversation when they heard the deep rumble from the corner. At first, they were confused by the sound, but they realized with dismay that the demon was _laughing_. Deep, throaty, pleased laughter. The demon turned to face Sam and Dean and grinned.

"He's on his way."

They looked at each other in dismay and frantically continued their escape attempts as the room started to shake.

The boss was coming.


End file.
